MLK Day: A Prayer of Peace

January 18, 2016

Audio Recording Currently Unavailable.

[PRESENTER] : And now we are going to have a prayer of peace. Danish Hasan from the Muslim Students Association at the University of South Florida.

*Applause* 

[DANISH HASAN]: Good afternoon and Assalamualaikum. May the peace and blessings of God Almighty be with you.

I am humbled and honored to have been invited here today to speak on such a day where we honor the life and dedication of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

I am the former president of the Muslim Students Association at the University of South Florida Tampa campus, and I currently serve as the Senate President of the Student Government Senate. 

It is a privilege to be gathered here today to remember the sacrifice that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made for each and every one of us. Regardless if we were in the majority or are in the minority, Dr. King fought for a voice for each and every one of us. Dr. King is a hero for members of every faith and ethnicity, because he fought against injustice.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” 

Even today we hear about the tragedy that occur not only in our local community but throughout the entire nation. Through the course of our history we have picked on certain groups of people. Not long ago, women were fighting for suffrage, the right to voice their opinions in national politics. Then came the Irish and German immigrants, then the Japanese immigrants, then our Jewish brothers and sisters. And then, there was the Hispanic community, the black community, and now it is the Muslim community. And now, we also have to fight for gender equality and rights for those who are disabled and less fortunate. 

Now it is up to you and me to keep alive the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King so that we can all live in a world in peace and harmony where we will not be judged by the color of our skin but rather by the content of our character. 

So with that in mind, please join me in a short prayer to keep alive the memory and lifelong commitment and dedication of Dr. King 

I pray that God gives us the strength to fight injustices everywhere. I pray that God gives us the courage, like he gave to Dr. King, to stand up for the right of our brothers and sisters throughout the world. I pray that God gives us the oppournity to live in a world where we are safe and secure so that we can enjoy the gifts that he has given to us. I pray that God allows us to be beacons of peace and love, while all around us, people are continuing to discriminate and distance. And I pray that God opens up our hearts and our minds so that we can embrace our brothers and sisters despite our outward differences, for we are the same inside and deserve to be loved. Amen

[AUDIENCE]: Amen.

Thank you again to Mr. Roy Kaplan for presenting this opportunity not only to me, but other student leaders at USF and thank you to the Allen Temple Church for keeping this tradition alive. 

Thank you and God bless.